In the spirit of Yellow Chapel work, This week I invited Consuelo Wise, Shannon Rickman, Gabe Flores, Arielle Renee, Dakota Lacroix, Marina Tait, Mary Edwards, Stephen Kurowski, Kellie Maledy, and Chelsea Clark-James to send over love lists that go beyond the romantic realm. The aftermath was woven into several unconventional love songs (by Richie Havens, Kate Bush. Laurie Anderson, The B-52s, Congress-Woman Malinda Jackson Parker and more) then piped out onto Freeform Portland radio waves.
Big love!
The Yellow Chapel
On Saturday night, for the 2018 Love Show, a bounty of humans gathered to celebrate a force we all know, we all aspire to receive and ooze, to share with others, to rest our heads upon each night as the moon slips upward. LOVE. That’s right. Every day we're reminded of this thing that was planted inside us before we began to sprout fingers or drum heartbeats. We’ve always had it, it’s blasted us dreary days, in our most insufferable moments. Sometimes this love has been more obviously there. Other times we’ve had to unearth it from the wreckage, dust it off, and start again.
As (non-religious) Reverend Felicity Fenton of The Yellow Chapel, a free service dedicated to preserving the various territories of unconditional love, I amplified this love of ours by marrying willing participants to themselves, another human, a group of humans, an idea, a critter, a plant or an object. I also divorced willing participants from themselves, another human, a group of humans, an idea, a critter, a plant or an object.
Shame was erased. Self worth was realized. Prickly spirits were eradicated. Procrastinations were honored. Respect was revitalized.
I'll be continuing these ceremonies to those who need it at The Ford Gallery for the duration of the love show and elsewhere after that. To schedule a ceremony fill out the handy form Here.
"Bad Ghost" divorce - photo by William Rihel
The Love Show (on the radio)
What a delight it is to host this little radio show of mine on Freeform Portland.
Today from 10am to noon (PST) I'll be in conversation with Ben Pink and Sara McCormick about The 2018 PORTLAND LOVE SHOW. The show began in February 2006 with the goal of creating a safe and engaging space to highlight the varying attitudes about all types of love. The show was initially crafted in response to the annual deluge of heterosexist, consumerist, romance-centric advertising that Americans experience each year leading up to Valentine’s Day, For this year's event, they've invited over 200 artists to make one artwork each that digs a little deeper into the mysteries of Love.
There's more about all of this, and we are going to chat about it today on the radio. Stream the show online at freeformportland.org or, if you are in Portland, you can hit us up on the dial at 90.3fm. We'll be playing love inspired tunes by Bettye Swan, Orange Juice, The Drums, Buzzcocks, Joseph, Joan Armatrading, Dntel, Widowspeak, Bill Withers and MORE.
Oh yes! The Portland Love Show runs February 3rd-March 12th, 2018 at the Ford Gallery in PDX.
I'll be part of this shindig too, mostly officiating marriages and divorces to those who need it. Read more about that HERE.